The Gardner News

5 days ago | thegardnernews.com | Henry Schwan

Patrick Hannon had been placed on administrative leave in February, after a local business filed a lawsuit against him and the town. Town officials would not say why Hannon was no longer employed. Hannon has a history of lawsuits in several Massachusetts towns over a span of years. DUDLEY ― A local official with a long history of legal problems is no longer employed by the Town of Dudley, according to Town Administrator Jonathan Ruda.

5 days ago | thegardnernews.com | Beth McDermott

Paula Stefanakos, a dedicated educator with over three decades of experience, has been honored with the 37th Oakmont Excellence in Education Award, according to a community announcement. Stefanakos, who has been a part of the Oakmont Regional High School faculty for 21 years, has made significant contributions to the school and its students. Her journey in education began in 1992 at the Landmark School in Prides Crossing, Mass.

5 days ago | thegardnernews.com | Beth McDermott

The United Way of North Central Massachusetts has wrapped up its annual April Foods Drive, distributing more than 7,500 pounds of food to local agencies, according to a community announcement. The drive provided essential nutrition to 900 families and a total of 2,250 individuals across the region. From April through June, donation boxes were placed in libraries, schools, grocery stores and partner businesses throughout North Central Massachusetts.

5 days ago | thegardnernews.com | Cait Kemp

Nominees represent schools including Oakmont Regional, Monty Tech, Narragansett Regional, and Gardner High. The winner will be determined by a combination of reader votes and staff votes. Who was the best of Gardner-area high school softball? The Gardner News is letting readers have a say in the winner. Gardner-area spring athletes displayed great talent this season, from top scorers on the lacrosse field to the best defenders on the baseball diamond.

6 days ago | thegardnernews.com | Craig S. Semon

WORCESTER ― When she was a precocious and creative youngster, Rebekah A. Etique was shuffling through an old family photo album in her Waterbury, Connecticut, home, when she came across a striking snapshot of a blonde woman surrounded by handsome, attentive men. Etique thought she had discovered a long-hidden family secret, that she was a descendant of Norma Jeane Mortenson, who took the world by storm as Marilyn Monroe. “She was a stunning lady," the 26-year-old Etique said.